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Topic: Why is C-C bond energy stronger than F-F bond energy?  (Read 6888 times)

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Offline Bublik

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Why is C-C bond energy stronger than F-F bond energy?
« on: May 05, 2014, 05:39:40 PM »
Why is C-C bond energy stronger than F-F bond energy? 

C-C bond energy is 154kJ/mol, F-F bond energy is 142kJ/mol according to a source.

I thought F-F bond energy would be larger, because the radii or the F atoms are smaller, and more of the nucleus is available to grab hold of the other F atom's electrons.


Offline Corribus

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Re: Why is C-C bond energy stronger than F-F bond energy?
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2014, 06:50:12 PM »
Bond energy is a function of (1) orbital overlap, (2) Coulombic forces - attraction and repulsion, and (3) electron exchange, which is a purely quantum mechanical effect. Fluorine has a lot more electron density surrounding it than carbon, and therefore a lot more charge repulsion. For the same reason, O-O and N-N single bonds are pretty unstable.
What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?  - Richard P. Feynman

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